Ohio Health Care Doesn’t Need More Government Expansion

Expanding government health care programs must be stylish. Everybody is getting into the act. First President Obama. And now, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland wants to give health insurance to every child in the state. A nice gesture, but the method is quite cost-ineffective.

Marc Kilmer of “The Times-Gazette” in Hillsboro, says it best:

Much of the problem of uninsured children could be solved by simply getting those eligible signed up for coverage.

Instead, politicians like Governor Strickland want to expand coverage to those with higher incomes.

Children in families with higher incomes not only have a lower uninsured rate than children who are already eligible for the program, their parents are more likely to be able to afford private coverage.

September 2009 Update: It appears that the “public option” is off the table. That’s good news for everyone.

May 2013 Update: Wow! That 3 1/2 years went fast!The public option has not been discussed for a few years and is not likely to be mentioned again, especially now, with three government scandals rocking the political world. We will start taking Ohio State Marketplace applications in October. It should be a very busy time.